Chapter Eight
B ellamy laid sprawled out on my bed, hands behind his head and smile wide, as if he belonged there. Standing against my door, hand to my chest and breathing heavily, I was too startled to pretend he did not look as though he did.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed, thoughts racing at the many possibilities of awful ways this could end. Bellamy’s burnt head on a spike being one of the more horrid scenarios. Though not nearly as awful as watching him slump at my feet on a wooden stage.
His smile did not falter in the slightest as he sat up, his tight black tunic stretching over his arms and sending uncomfortably erotic images through my mind. As if he could hear my thoughts, Bellamy smirked, eyes alight with a wicked gleam that I needed no part of.
“I am here to bring you on an adventure,” he said with a casual shrug.
I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, to ask him how he could not see the danger, to push him out the window because it would be a cleaner and safer death. Instead, I remained standing, the same baffled look still on my face.
I needed to tell him to leave, to panic or run or yell, something .
“How did you get in here?” I asked instead. He quirked a brow, clearly amused by my reaction. His scent floated in the air, and I realized that I would be doomed if anyone came in here today, because the smell alone would be telling.
The Fire was uninterested in the growing danger, far more intrigued by me if the way his eyes stayed trained on my own was any indication. His mind was strange, like a canvas that had been painted a solid color. There was no dimension to it, not like there had been the other night.
“Desperation can get you anywhere,” he said as he stood, then began walking my way.
His steps towards me were not quick, but rather slow and calculated, as if behind that relaxed and confident exterior was a male who feared my rejection. I could taste it slightly, the chilly nerves that radiated from him despite that solid canvas.
“I do not know what that means, but you need to leave, now . It is not safe for you to be here,” I said just as he made the final step and closed the distance between us, our bodies nearly touching. Foolish, that was what being next to him like this was. Foolish and dangerous and so, so intoxicating.
“Careful, Princess, I am beginning to think you do not want me here,” he said, gesturing behind him to my room. A part of me ignited at his words, his insinuation. I could not fight off the many ways I did want him here from flashing through my head. Hypocritical of me to say the least.
“Careful, Fire, I am beginning to think you cannot take a hint,” I said, back still against my doors. He smirked, placing one hand in the pocket of his trousers and the other above my head. As he leaned in, my breath caught, eyes flicking to his lips before I regained my wits and stared back into his icy gaze.
His eyes did not meet mine though, instead they honed in on my arm, where my cloak had slipped off my shoulder. My bruises, which had faded to a greenish hue, now sat on full display.
“Who did that to you?” he asked, his voice a deep growl. I winced at my careless mistake, covering my arm once more with my cloak.
“It is none of your business. Now, what do you actually want? Hurry up and tell me, then leave before someone sees you and cuts off your head,” I said, my words a rush of nerves and stress. I had not planned to ever see Bellamy again, let alone be sharing the same air as him once more. It was unnerving. Hypnotizing.
He shot a glare at my now covered arm, then sighed.
“Spend the day with me. One day, and then I will leave you alone if you wish,” he said. His eyes were wide, pleading.
A tempting offer to say the least. In fact, it was too tempting. Had I not just been discussing my desire to travel and live? Had Sterling not insinuated that he would take me to see the world if I were willing to marry him? The timing of it all was suspicious, and I was in no place to be running off with strange fae males.
Still, there I stood, considering saying yes as if it were not the absolute worst way to spend my day. As if I would not be marking him for dead just by being this close to him.
His own eyes slid down to my lips, not attempting to hide it as I had, and I felt all of my sense leave me. My head nodded, the slightest dip of my chin to signal that I agreed to the idiocy. That gorgeous smile returned in full force, taking over his face and making his dimples widen as if someone had placed their thumb to both his cheeks.
Making this stranger happy was unnaturally exciting, my own eagerness to experience something new bleeding into the joy that seeped from him. Sadly, I would need to crush his hopes, because there was no way we were getting out of this castle, let alone off the island, without being noticed.
I meant to say as much to him, but Bellamy was quick to hold out some sort of ball, a mischievous smile on his face. It was a deep green and only half the size of his palm.
“Do you trust me, Princess?” he asked, offering his hand.
I swallowed hard as our eyes connected, the same tug from the night of my ball telling me to say yes.
“I do not even know you,” I answered instead, my words coming out with much more conviction than I felt.
“Let’s change that,” he whispered, pulling my arm around his neck and wrapping his around my waist. Before I could question his forwardness, he took the ball and slammed it onto the ground.
The color seemed to be ripped from the world around us as the cinnamon scented smoke surrounded our bodies. Suddenly I felt as though my skin was being stretched and ripped, a slight cry releasing from my mouth. Just as soon as the pain started, it stopped.
“You can open your eyes Asher,” Bellamy said into my ear.
Realization that the world was not a black void hit, and I opened my tightly scrunched eyes. The sea was in front of us, the sun reflecting off the calm expanse of blue. Below our feet there was bleach-white sand where my golden floor had just been. Fear and curiosity were at war in my mind, which formed an overwhelming tornado of questions. The most obvious ones left my lips.
“What just happened? Where are we?”
“You are safe, you just portaled,” he said, voice deep. I felt his heart racing against my right hand and realized how close we still were. When I dropped both hands to my side, I felt his grip on me tighten a bit. “I assume they have yet to show you based on your reaction, but it is not a new creation.”
I remained silent, too confused to speak just yet.
“And you are in the place I call home,” he added. When I finally lifted my gaze from the ground to his eyes, I saw that he was staring at me rather intently.
“I find it hard to believe that I would have not heard of such a miraculous tool,” I responded, the accusation in my tone obvious. Impossible as it was that I just went from one spot to another in an instant, it was even more improbable that there was nothing suspicious about the magic.
“Check with the king and queen, I am sure that they will admit to their knowledge of portaling. Tell me, is it so hard to believe that they would refrain from giving you knowledge of a way to leave without detection?” he asked, eyebrows raised. He had a point there. That did not mean I had to like it though. In fact, my rage seemed to rise within me at his knowing response.
I squirmed out of his grip and took a handful of steps back. Spinning in a full circle, I slowly took in my surroundings. We were on a crowded beach; the air was cool and the wind was fierce. At least I knew he was not planning to murder me. Yet.
In the distance there was a strange red hue to the sky, as if somewhere far out at sea a fire raged. It stunned me momentarily, the sight of something so odd and out of place. Especially in comparison to the beauty of the beach and its occupants.
Everywhere around me fae of all colors and sizes and ages walked about. There were younglings splashing around in the chilly water, their parents not far, laughing at their antics. Young fae in their prime also mingled, the styles of clothing varying as much as physical appearances.
Off in the distance, many white buildings I assumed were homes could be seen, beyond that, a dark structure loomed. It appeared to be a castle of sorts, black and ominous, leaching the light from the day.
It sent chills down my spine.
Facing him once more, I latched onto that anger and brought it to the surface, letting it spill from me. “If you ever take me anywhere against my will or knowledge again, I will not hesitate to take everything that makes you unique and warp it into something you do not recognize. In fact, I will gladly shatter your mind with barely a thought,” I said, my finger pointed at his face.
The male remained still, listening to my threats without a word.
“I am not a pawn, a toy, or a pet. I am not just some princess waiting to be carried off or a female begging to be rescued,” my voice went down an octave, sounding utterly lethal. I closed the space between us until we were breathing the same air, and I did my best to look down on him despite the height difference. “I am an immensely powerful being that offers kindness to those who are smart enough to treat me with respect, and promises wrath to those stupid enough to wish harm on me. So, before we continue our little adventure, tell me, Bellamy, are you smart or are you stupid?”
Bellamy did not react the way I had hoped. Instead of cowering or submitting or even looking stunned, he smiled. His eyes wrinkled at the corners and his dimples deepened. For a moment I caught a sense of his mind, and I realized he had found my speech…endearing. Was I losing my touch?
“I would like to think I am smart, but I find myself growing increasingly stupid in your presence,” he answered, cupping either side of my face with his warm hands and leaning in. Just before our lips met, he paused. It felt like a question, as if he were waiting for permission.
As mad as I was, there was still no part of me that wanted him to stop. He seemed to feel that, because he brought his lips to mine. The kiss was timid and slow. His tongue was in my mouth, wrapping around mine. One of his hands slid to the back of my head, pulling me closer somehow. My hands moved of their own accord, grabbing onto his short, dark waves. I heard him let loose a little moan before pulling away.
To my surprise, he leaned his forehead against mine and smiled down at me. His cheeks were flushed, making his freckles less noticeable. Despite how frustrated I was with him, I also had to admire how utterly free Bellamy was. Something I had never associated myself with by any means, but that I longed for.
I pulled away again, knowing that I needed to keep my wits about me. This male had just taken me across islands without my permission, kissing him was idiotic at best. Even though I knew that, my stomach still flipped at the sight of him licking his lips.
“If you would still like to spend the day with me, I would greatly enjoy showing you where I live,” Bellamy said, holding his hand out to me just as he did in my chambers.
“What if I say no?” I questioned, my eyes forming into slits.
“Then we go back to the palace,” he answered with a shrug. I knew he was being sincere, but I felt as though I should show at least some sort of self-preservation instinct.
“Swear it to me,” I demanded.
“You want me to swear what exactly?” he asked with a raised brow. A fair question, I supposed.
“Swear to me that you mean me no harm and that you will never take me somewhere against my will again,” I said.
Without hesitation, Bellamy got down on both knees in the sand.
“I, Bellamy, swear to you, Asher, that I mean you no harm. I swear to never take you anywhere you do not desire to go. And I will do you one better Princess, I swear to protect you for as long as you are at my side.”
He stood up and once again reached out his hand. This time, I grabbed it. A smirk formed on his lips as he interlaced our fingers. The way his hand felt in mine, our fingers tangled, was strange. It was as if they had always belonged this way, joined. I looked up to see his eyes down as well. Could he too feel that strange pull? The sense of rightness? Without warning, Bellamy began stalking forward, tugging me with him. Together, we walked off the beach.
When the sand turned to stone, we came upon a small market. There were vendors selling a variety of goods ranging from shimmering silks to lush spices to intricate pottery. The stalls themselves were simple, plain even. They appeared to be made of driftwood, the sun and salt-bleached wood shining and providing little distraction from the creations of those running the stands.
My eyes lit up at the sight of it all. I felt Bellamy looking at me but could not manage to pull my eyes away from the wonders of what was in front of us. “Is it normal to feel the urge to touch and taste and see everything?” I asked, mesmerized.
“Females often ask me that, but we are in public Asher.” I swatted his arm, rolling my eyes. He merely let out a deep chuckle. “Yes, the first time I came to the market I spent hours here. There was not a single booth I had yet to see by the time I left,” he said, smiling down at me.
“Then let’s go see it all,” I whispered.